Todd Blanche Sworn In as Attorney General After Narrow Senate Confirmation/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general after winning Senate confirmation by a 50-49 vote. Trump’s former defense lawyer takes command of a depleted Justice Department facing court resistance and politicization concerns. His nomination advanced only after he rescinded plans for a controversial $1.8 billion compensation fund.
Quick Look
- Todd Blanche was sworn in Monday as attorney general.
- Federal appeals court Judge Emil Bove administered the oath.
- Blanche was confirmed by the Senate in a 50-49 vote.
- Two Republican senators opposed his nomination.
- Justice Department employees cheered his arrival at headquarters.
- Blanche had served as acting attorney general since April.
- He took over after Trump fired Pam Bondi.
- Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer.
- He has overseen investigations involving Trump’s political opponents.
- The Justice Department has lost thousands of employees.
- Courts have increasingly challenged the administration’s legal actions.
- Blanche denies that Trump has weaponized the department.
- His confirmation nearly collapsed over Trump’s IRS settlement.
- Blanche rescinded a proposed $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies.
Deep Look
Blanche sworn in after divisive confirmation battle
WASHINGTON — Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, was sworn in Monday as U.S. attorney general following a bruising Senate confirmation fight that exposed concerns in both parties about the Justice Department’s direction.
Emil Bove, another former Trump attorney who now serves as a federal appeals court judge, administered the oath during a White House ceremony.
The Senate confirmed Blanche early Saturday by a 50-49 vote, one of the narrowest margins ever for an attorney general.
Two Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing the nomination, citing concerns about the department’s increasing politicization under Trump.
Justice Department employees welcome Blanche
Shortly after the White House ceremony, Blanche arrived at Justice Department headquarters.
Employees lined the building’s entrance and cheered as the newly confirmed attorney general entered.
Blanche is officially assuming control of an agency he has already led in an acting capacity since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April.
He previously served as deputy attorney general, overseeing the department’s day-to-day operations and many of its most politically sensitive investigations.
Blanche inherits depleted department
Blanche takes permanent command of a Justice Department that has lost thousands of employees through resignations, dismissals and voluntary departures.
Career prosecutors and other officials have left amid disputes over politically sensitive cases, changes to longstanding departmental practices and pressure from administration officials.
The department also faces mounting resistance from judges who have blocked or questioned several Trump administration actions.
Blanche must now stabilize the workforce while advancing a president’s agenda that has repeatedly tested the traditional separation between the White House and federal law enforcement.
Trump has openly sought investigations of opponents
Trump has made clear that he wants the Justice Department to investigate people he views as political enemies.
As deputy attorney general and later acting attorney general, Blanche supervised investigations involving several Trump opponents.
Those cases include the department’s investigation of former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted for a second time in April after Trump returned to office.
Critics say those investigations demonstrate that the department is being used to pursue the president’s grievances.
Blanche has rejected accusations that the Trump administration has weaponized federal law enforcement.
Blanche defends Trump’s involvement in DOJ affairs
Blanche has said he does not feel pressured to satisfy Trump and sees nothing improper about the president taking an interest in Justice Department investigations and policies.
He has described that interest as Trump’s “right” and “his duty.”
Those statements have alarmed critics who argue that federal prosecutions should remain insulated from direct presidential influence.
Supporters counter that the Justice Department belongs to the executive branch and that a president is entitled to establish law-enforcement priorities.
Blanche’s ability to maintain legal credibility while responding to Trump’s demands will be a defining test of his tenure.
Former prosecutor became Trump’s defense lawyer
Blanche previously worked as a federal prosecutor in New York.
He entered Trump’s inner circle in 2023, when he left his law firm to defend the former president against multiple criminal prosecutions.
Those cases included two brought by the Justice Department during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Blanche has said that experience gave him a firsthand view of what he believes was the criminal justice system’s weaponization against Trump.
His defense work earned the president’s trust and helped propel him into the department’s senior leadership after Trump returned to office.
Supporters say relationship could help restrain Trump
Blanche’s supporters argue that his close relationship with Trump could make him more effective than Bondi at resisting legally questionable demands.
Because Trump trusts his former defense attorney, supporters contend that Blanche may have greater influence when explaining why the Justice Department cannot pursue a particular case or action.
Whether he will use that influence to push back remains uncertain.
His previous supervision of investigations targeting Trump critics has fueled skepticism among Democrats and some Republicans.
IRS settlement nearly derailed nomination
Blanche’s confirmation was almost blocked over concerns about a controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The proposed agreement included plans for a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate Trump allies who believed they had been mistreated by the Justice Department.
Potential beneficiaries included people connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The settlement also included disputed protections involving tax audits of Trump and members of his family.
Republican senators threatened to withhold support unless the administration addressed those provisions.
Blanche rescinds compensation fund
Under pressure from Republicans, Blanche confirmed in writing that the administration had abandoned plans for the $1.8 billion compensation fund.
That commitment allowed his nomination to move forward.
Some lawmakers remain concerned that the administration could attempt to revive the proposal after Blanche’s confirmation.
The controversy ensured that Blanche began his tenure under close congressional scrutiny.
He now faces questions about whether he will preserve the department’s institutional independence or further align federal law enforcement with Trump’s personal and political interests.
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